Rezaei, Mehdi and Yngvesson, Jenny and Gunnarsson, Stefan and Jönsson, Lotta and Wallenbeck, Anna
(2017).
Feed efficiency, growth performance, and carcass characteristics of a fast- and a slower-growing broiler hybrid fed low- or high-protein organic diets.
Organic Agriculture. 7
, 1-8
[Research article]
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Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. 342kB |
Official URL: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13165-017-0178-6
Abstract
Organic poultry meat production in Sweden is characterized by diets based on organic and locally produced feedstuffs, roughage allowance, a long rearing period (>10 weeks), outdoor access for the birds, and ban of synthetic amino acids and prophylactic use of antibiotics and anthelmintic. Until recently, the main hybrids used in organic broiler chicken production in Sweden were the same as used in conventional broiler chicken production. These birds are bred to reach market weight at 5 to 6 weeks on a high-protein quality nonorganic diet. In this study, organic high- and low-
protein diets were fed to fast- and slower-growing hybrid broiler chickens with 5 pens per genotype × diet treatment and 21 to 22 broiler chickens per pen. Weight gain, feed conversion, health, and mortality were recorded during a 71-day rearing period. The fast-growing hybrid birds grew faster (55.4 ± 0.7 versus 38.3 ± 0.5 g/day, P = 0.001) and had a better feed conversion ratio (2.6 ± 0.1 versus 2.9 ± 0.1 kg feed/kg body weight, P = 0.001) than the slower-growing hybrid birds. The fast-growing hybrid birds grew slower when fed the high-protein compared to the low-protein diet (55.3 ± 0.5 versus 57.8 ± 1.4 g/day, P = 0.050), while the slower-
growing hybrid birds grew faster when fed the high-protein compared to the low-protein diet (39.4 ± 0.7 and 37.2 ± 0.4 g/day, P = 0.038). A higher proportion of fast- compared to slower-growing hybrid birds had sticky droppings at 1 week of age (18.8 ± 1.6 versus 3.8 ± 1.6%, P = 0.001) and were culled because of leg weakness during the 10-week rearing period (10.0 ± 2.0 versus 3.3 ± 2.0%, P = 0.031), indicating poorer welfare among fast-growing hybrid birds when reared for 10 weeks on organic diets.
Authors/Creators: | Rezaei, Mehdi and Yngvesson, Jenny and Gunnarsson, Stefan and Jönsson, Lotta and Wallenbeck, Anna | ||||
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Title: | Feed efficiency, growth performance, and carcass characteristics of a fast- and a slower-growing broiler hybrid fed low- or high-protein organic diets | ||||
Series Name/Journal: | Organic Agriculture | ||||
Year of publishing : | 2017 | ||||
Volume: | 7 | ||||
Page range: | 1-8 | ||||
Number of Pages: | 8 | ||||
Publisher: | Springer | ||||
ISSN: | 1879-4246 | ||||
Language: | English | ||||
Publication Type: | Research article | ||||
Refereed: | Yes | ||||
Article category: | Scientific peer reviewed | ||||
Version: | Published version | ||||
Copyright: | Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 | ||||
Full Text Status: | Public | ||||
Agris subject categories.: | L Animal production > L02 Animal feeding | ||||
Subjects: | (A) Swedish standard research categories 2011 > 4 Agricultural Sciences > 402 Animal and Dairy Science > Animal and Dairy Science. (A) Swedish standard research categories 2011 > 4 Agricultural Sciences > 403 Veterinary Science > Other Veterinary Science | ||||
Agrovoc terms: | poultry farming, feed composition, feed conversion efficiency, organic agriculture | ||||
Keywords: | Broiler, Growth, Mortality, Organic, Protein content | ||||
URN:NBN: | urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-e-4604 | ||||
Permanent URL: | http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-e-4604 | ||||
Additional ID: |
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ID Code: | 14901 | ||||
Faculty: | NJ - Fakulteten för naturresurser och jordbruksvetenskap VH - Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science | ||||
Department: | (NL, NJ) > Institutionen för husdjursgenetik (fr.o.m. 960101) (VH) > Dept. of Animal Nutrition and Management (VH) > Dept. of Animal Breeding and Genetics | ||||
Deposited By: | SLUpub Connector | ||||
Deposited On: | 18 Jan 2018 11:58 | ||||
Metadata Last Modified: | 18 Jan 2018 11:58 |
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